University of Helsinki
The course consists of eight three-hour lectures (24 hours). The first two lectures cover examples of games that come from recreational mathematics. The payoffs are simple, usually one for victory zero for loss. The winning strategies are sometimes quite complicated. Bouton’s theorem for the winning strategy in the game of NIM is proved. The remaining lectures cover the standard material of the first game theory course. Strategic and extensive form games with perfect information, dominance, and Nash equilibrium. Particular emphasis is given to mixed strategies, and the students are expected to gain the ability to determine mixed strategy equilibria also in suitable instances with a large action space. Also Bayesian games and bargaining under complete information are covered. Finally, several applications of game theory to economic problems like incomplete contracting are studied. Most of the material of the last six lectures can be found in Osborne: an introduction to Game theory in chapters 1-6, 9 and 16.
The lectures are given a little irregularly 9.9. – 18.10.2013 on Mondays at 15-18, Place: Economicum, seminar room 3-4 (Arkadiankatu 7) and on Fridays (fri 11.10. and 18.10.2013) at 9-12, Place: Economicum, lecture room (Arkadiankatu 7).
The slides will become available on this page in due time.
31.10.2013 Final exam. Time and place: at 9 – 11, PII (Porthania)
2.12.2013 2nd exam. Time and place: at 10 – 12, PR (Main Building), room 13 / Professor Klaus Kultti
One can take course material to the exam IF IT DOES NOT CAUSE DISTURBANCE.